Meet Jada Akoto | Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jada Akoto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jada, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Growing up, my father, a Ghanian immigrant, would always tell my sister and I how we would make the best lawyers and/or doctors. However, I always knew I never wanted to be either and as I grew older, my dad also realized that. Instead of pressuring me to follow the cultural pressure of having a very esteemed job, he really wanted me to find something I enjoyed and would want to do for the rest of my life.

My father really was the push to pursue a creative career because he saw how happy I was doing it. He bought me an Adobe subscription and I just took off.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
A lot of my work is centered around archival practices. I save everything. I really love gathering a mountain of information (from academic readings to instagram posts) and then making something out of all of it. I really enjoyed collecting as a child, and now I just collect new information everyday. A lot of that information, however, not only comes from outside sources, but my own experiences as well. My identity as a Black women obviously influences every part of my life, including my work.

My latest project, Bad Girls Club, was based on my love for reality television from a very young age. It centers around Black women and reality television as an archival practice. This body of work is special to me because reality TV is something I’ve been watching and digesting for as long as I can remember. Yet through that, I was able to talk about how it relates to the canonical images of Black women, Saidiya Hartman’s ideas on the afterlife of slavery, and how social media plays into the consumption of Black women.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am actually such a home body, it’s ridiculous, but I really enjoy going to antique and vintage stores in my area. I always find something amazing to add to my hoard of stuff, so I love taking friends when they visit because we all can find something to remember the trip. I also love going to the beaches and just enjoying the sun.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have cultivated and supported my career. My family, of course. My mentor, Rene Payne, who took me under her wing in my sophomore year of college and has been such an amazing presence not just in my schooling, but in my life as well. Plus, all of my friends who continually inspire me everyday.

Website: https://jadaakoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/A.KOTO/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadaakoto

Image Credits
Headshot: Rey Londres